This invention relates to an arrangement for detecting and indicating the overheating of a strut bearing that supports a propellor shaft on a water vessel.
Various arrangements have been proposed heretofore for detecting the overheating of oil-lubricated anti-friction bearings in a diverse types of equipment in which the bearing surfaces normally do not come into contact with water. Examples of such arrangements are disclosed in the following U.S. patents: Waseleski et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,824,579, Bergman et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,575, Logan et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,167,734, Korber et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,175, Weeks et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,183, El-Ibiary U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,525, Litton U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,452, Duffy et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,105, Rhodes et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,952,587, and Hicks U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,233.
It is a conventional practice on water vessels to provide one or more struts extending down from the bottom of the vessel and each holding a bearing which rotatably supports the vessel's propellor shaft. Commonly, such bearings are formed with longitudinal water passages next to the propellor shaft to keep the bearing water-cooled by the vessel's movement through the water. Any significant restriction of water flow through the bearing--such as can occur when a line gets wrapped around the propellor shaft, or some other foreign object or substance gets into the bearing--can cause potentially troublesome overheating of the bearing.